Hinged hat rack



July 6, 1937. E. M. HARDING ET AL HINGED HAT RACK Filed March 18, 1936 IN VENTORS:

ATTORNEY Patented July 6, 1937 UNiTED STATES HINGED' HAT RACK Ernest M. Harding, Long Beach, and Roy G.

Harding, Bellflower, Calif.

Application March 18, 1936, Serial No. 69,560

Claims.

Our invention relates particularly to hinged hat racks, adaptable for use within the enclosed body of a passenger vehicle, or other confined places wherein a hat rack is desired.

The primary object in our invention is to provide a cam ratchet hinge with a hat rack ring or yoke, together with means whereby said hinge may be automatically locked in various positions for convenient insertion of a hat, and whereby said hat may be impinged against an adjoining surface to retain said hat in said yoke or ring comprising part of said hat rack.

Another object is to provide spring tension means enclosed in the casing of a hinge whereby a hat rack may be held in various positions.

A still further object in our invention is to provide a hinged hat rack adaptable to various positions of installation.

'Other and further objects in our invention will appear as the description and operation of our invention is set forth and disclosed by the following specification, as illustrated by the drawing, which is used for the purpose of illustration only, and the structure may be changed within the scope of what is claimed.

Fig. 1 is a view of one side of the hinge casing proximal to the attaching surface of the hinge flange I shown in a position at right angles to spring casing 2, said hinge flange I having ears AA bent at right angles to the surface of and at each side of the hinge flange I. The ears A--A correspond with the parallel sides of one end of spring casing 2, being perforated to receive hinge pin or short screws 3--3, said spring casing 2 having a spring cover A, spring shaft 5 holding spring 6 in operative position in conjunction with cam terminus I.

Fig. 2 is another view of the same side of cam ratchet hinge showing hinge flange I extended and held in line with spring casing 2 by tension of spring 6.

Fig. 3 is a cross section as of Fig. 2 at X-X showing spring pin or shaft 5, which extends through both sides of spring casing 2, and spring 45 6 in perspective attached to cam terminus I of hinge flange I. The dotted lines K show position of hinge flange I when disposed at right angles to casing 2. The dotted line M illustrates the center line of spring 6 when hinge flange I is in 50 position K.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the preferred form of the invention. The terminal ends of the wire used for hat ring 8 are wound around shaft 50 to form an actuating spring 6D. An additional auxiliary spring may be used around shaft 50 in conjunction with actuating spring 6D if it is desired to use more tension .than may be obtained by the use of a spring as per the illustrations.

Fig. 5 is a cross section as of Fig. 4 at Y-Y, I with hinge flange I set at right angles to spring 5 casing 2, position H of hinge flange 5 shown in dotted lines.

The operation and use of the invention is as follows: I

When the'spring flange I is flexed into posi- 10 tion K as of Fig. 1 or Fig. 3, the cam terminus l or IF acts to bring the spring tension exerted by spring 6 or spring terminals 6D to various positions in relation to the center of hinge pin 3A, thereby urging hinge flange I in opposite direc- 15 tions according to its position as of H or K. When hinge flange I is disposed atright angles to casing 2, the cam terminus l as of Fig. 1 acts to flex spring 6 to a point below the axis formed by screws 3-3 at each side of casing 2, so that 0 the spring tension is changed from a line at one side of the axis to a position on the opposite side i of the axis in a manner to reverse the tension upon hinge flange I to urge hinge flange II in opposite directions according to the position of 25 disposal. The dotted lines M within the casing 2 as of Fig. 3 indicate the change in the center line of tension spring 6 which takes place when hinge flange I is at right angles to casing 2.

It will be observed that cam terminus I is bent 30 in a semicircle and describes approximately a little more than a half circle. Therefore, when said cam terminus l is rotated about the axial line between 33 a tension is brought to bear in opposite directions at the opposite sides of said 35 axial line. When the flange I is in position K the end of cam terminus l is slightly above the axial line, there being a tendency for the spring to urge said cam terminus I in line with said spring 6, the flange I being thus held at right angles to the spring casing 2.

The preferred type of cam ratchet hinge illustrated by Fig. 4 shows in dotted lines H the position of hinge flange I in alignment with casing 2 and spring cover 43, which position as of Fig. 4 is maintained by spring tension against cam terminus 1F to urge hinge flange I in the opposite direction from which it is urged when said hinge flange I is in position K. In the position H hinge flange I is in alignment with hinge casing 2 and spring cover 43, and position K is at right angles to casing 2 and spring cover 43.

It will be noted that a spring tension is at all times exerted against one end of spring cover 4B on the opposite side of axis 5C from cam terminus IF in a manner whereby the cam terminus 1F is impinged and urged by spring cover 4B so that the flange I is held in position H or K according to the various contingencies of use.

The hinge flange l is designed to be bent at the narrowest point as at LL for convenience in installation, as for example, if it is desired to have the hat yoke or loop 8 impinge against the ceiling of a compartment when the flange l is fastened to the wall, or have the hinge flange I disposed at right angles to spring casing 2 when the cam ratchet hinge is in closed position, as of Figs; 2 or 4.

The position as of Fig. 4 is termed closed position. The position as of Fig. 5 is termed open position. When the hat rack is in open position as at K, it is automatically retained in that posi tion, and a hat may be inserted in the yoke or loop 8 most conveniently without the necessity of holding the hat rack in open position while inserting the hat. The hat rack may then be snapped to closed position, as of Fig. 4 at H, when the hat will be impinged against an adjoining surface of a compartment, wall or ceiling, as the case may be.

It is obvious that there are other uses for the described hinge, which is termed a cam ratchet hinge, the described hinge being especially designed to meet the use set forth herein.

Having described our invention, and that which is new, we claim: 7

. 1. For an article of manufacture, the combination including a spring casing, a hinge flange pivotally connected thereto, a spring attached within said spring casing, said hinge flange and spring casing being journaled on a common axial line extending through said spring casing and coinciding oppositely disposed portions of said hinge flange, said hinge flange having a cam terminus adapted to rotate about said axis and hold said hinge flange in alignment with said spring casing, said spring and said hinge flange adapted to coact with the spring casing and hold said hinge flange at right angles to said spring casing when said hinge flange is manually moved to a position at right angles to the spring casing.

2. A hinged hat rack comprising a hinge flange having a cam formed at one end thereof, a spring housing, said hinge flange pivotally attached to said spring housing, a yoke formed of spring wire, a spring cover and shaft, said yoke having terminal ends wound around said shaft extending transversely through said housing and said spring cover having ears formed at right angles to said spring cover, the terminal ends of said ears disposed at right angles to said plate, a spring casing having side members to correspond with the ears of said hinge flange, a hinge pin extending through said ears of said hinge flange and said side members of said spring casing, a spring attached between said spring casing and said hinge flange in a manner whereby the cam comprising part of said hinge flange is urged to I lock said hinge flange in various positions in relation to said spring casing, a yoke attached to said spring casing, said yoke adapted to carry a hat.

4. The combination in a hinged hat rack of a spring casing, a yoke to carry a hat, said yoke secured to said spring casing, a hinge flange having a cam at one end thereof, said hinge flange pivotallyattached to said casing, a'spring cover pivotally attached to said casing, a spring disposed between said spring cover and said casing, said spring adapted to urge said spring cover against said cam to maintain said hinge flange, said spring cover and said spring casing, including the yoke attached thereto, in any of the various positions of relationship to oneanother.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a spring casing, a hinge flange pivotally attached thereto, a spring attached within said spring casing, said spring disposed between said hinge flange and spring casing, a cam terminus integral with said hinge flange, said cam terminus adjacent to said spring casing, coacting elements between said cam terminus, said spring casing and said spring whereby the hinge flange and spring casing are urged in opposite directions to hold the hinge flange and spring casing in various fixed positions when said hinge flange and spring casing are moved manually to said fixed position, said cam terminus adapted to be swung about an axial line between the pivotal connecting elements by which the hinge flange is connected to the spring casing, including elements to hold said hinge flange in a fixed position at right angles to said spring casing or in alignment with said spring casing.

ERNEST M. HARDING.

ROY C. HARDING. 

